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JVC Everio GZMC500 5MP 3CCD 4GB Microdrive Camcorder w/10x Optical Zoom
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| 3CCD sensor dedicates one chip to red, green, and blue for true-to-life color rendering |
| Microdrive format lets you shoot up to 60 minutes of high-quality MPEG-2 video |
| 10x optical zoom |
| 1.8-inch LCD monitor |
| Create and share DVDs easily with included software |
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Accessories
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Customers Reviews
2009-04-28
GCM C 500 PALMCORDER
I bought this little jewel at a PX in Germany and paid only 300 us new, the salesman apparently had no idea of how exp it was, anyway it was sitting in the reduced area because it had been opened and was missing both the micro drive and battery. I have been shooting all over the planet and I love its small but powerful package. I just recently bought a hdsd 16 gig compact flash drive and it worked, now I get about 7 hours of ultra high video!
The battery pack that comes with the camera goes quickly, so I bought a emergency battery pack for a car that has two 110 plugs on it, I simply put the battery in my backpack, plug in the cameras' power cable and I can film for hours and the camera does not get as hot when your not using the small battery inside. Additionally the cf card also reduces both heat and power consumption. the only negative thing that I dislike is the boot up time it takes when u turn the camera on.
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2009-02-05
Bad Quality Photos
I will start off saying I am not A pro when it comes to cameras. I have read all kinds of info and posts on this camera trying to get a good photo out of it. This camera can take perfect high quality full of detail pictures if you use tele macro setting and are extremely close to what your taking a picture of. You would see carpet fibers if you took a picture of your floor.
If you take other pictures they will be very grainy/fuzzy. We bought this to take pictures and video of our baby. I can honestly say I have never taken a crystal clear photo of anything unless it was close up and I'm talking within inches/centimeters.
If you use the flash it drowns the picture with light unless you stand way back and zoom. We own a Nikon coolpix 4300 3 mp and the pictures are more then 5 times better as far as clarity and sharpness. You will be disappointed if you buy this for a 5 mp camera.
As far as video goes it does good enough for home movies. I wish they were brighter and a little clearer but I'm happy with them. You can transfer them to the PC easily. They are .mod files but you can rename the files to .wmv and media player will play them just takes time to rename them. I found that windows media player classic will play the .mod files just fine.
It does get a little hot if it is on for a while. I think it is well made but the off, video, photo selection switch can be a little bit of a pain but I got used to it. It only takes up to a 2gb sd card which is enough for me but maybe not for others. The cf card can only go up to 4 gb which I have filled with videos before. If you unload them after a party you should be ok.
In closing if this had slightly better video and a camera that could hold up to the quality of a cheaper one this would be the perfect camera. I have owned it for quite sometime now and if you want a camera this in not for you unless all photos are extreme close ups. I suggest looking up some photos others have taken with it and judge for yourself.
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2008-10-12
I like it...... now
I work for a TV station, but didn't have a camera of my own. I picked this up because I was doing some undercover work and wanted a camera I could hide easier. It had a manual focus which I really wanted but it is not turn the focus ring and directly connected to the glass type. I initially hated the file type it records to... some stupid MOD extension. The only way I could get it into avid to edit video was put it through another program to make to quicktime or avi. But I now use adobe premiere elements which accepts all kinds of video types...so the that problem is gone....btw adobe premiere elements is awesome for the $90 price tag for someone looking for a decent editing software to try. With the camera and software I've put together pieces that have aired on tv...the quality is good enough and also 16:9. But lack of a mic input means it won't be something I would use to record interviews with...just shoot images with. And without a light kit stills and video indoors tward the night time won't look good either. But outdoors during the day is just awesome. nice 5mp stills will make nice 8x10s...anything larger and you will want more mega pixels. So it is now the perfect dual use camera for me with a decent 10x optical zoom. I can grab it and take some nice artsy stills [...] . And shoot some video for air when needed with the 3 ccds and nice shutter choices.
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2007-01-22
records interlaced video
Video interlacing is dead. Hard to believe Japan is still churning out interlaced recording devices when all displays are now progressive.
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2006-12-22
Great Camcorder - But!!!
I first purchased a their GZ-MC200 unit. A very similar unit but without the improvements found on the MC500. Once I was satisfied that I wasn't buying a misteak (these models are discontinued) I went ahead and purchased the 500, their top of the line version.
The GZ-Mc500:
Video quality is great when their is enough light, and the auto focus system can work. The actual video capability is around 2mp in video mode. At this level it is equal to and better than most camcorders on the market today, save HD camcorders.
In still mode the pictures are dissapointing, especially if you are use to a typical 4, 5 or 6 mp still camera. If you are not to discerning, the pics are acceptable. Be warned the flash will only cover 6 feet - not much.
The real plus's for this camcorder are 1) size, and 2) the 3 CCD pickups which render beautiful color in most lighting situations. In low light, such as you might have at a school play, you are better off switching to manual mode in order to control the focusing of the lens.
In terms of the cameras size and footprint - this is in my opinion is the real plus of the camera. It literally will fit in your pocket. It's realtively easy to operate, - editing is as simple as it could be, and very fast compared to using DV tapes.
The negatives are 1) a short battery life, about 45 minutes in actual use ( I use 3 as spares - they are very small); and 2)what may be the biggie for some, the hard drive is a compact flash microdrive. In it's best quality mode, it will record 1 hour of video. Longer times can be achieved with decrease in qualtiy, as recording time is increased. There have been many pros and cons written about the microdrives, even the best, the Hitachi, used by JVC. All in all keep in mind that these are the drives that Apple has used in their 4 gig ipods. Thus they they are proven, and Hatachi continues to improve their qualtiy. I purchased 3 at varying prices, from $65 to $135 dollars.
On any trip I ever taken I've never used more than 2.5 hours of video - thus 3 drives will cover most situations that I can think of. And you can always stretch by going from their ulta fine mode to fine, which will add 30 minutes to each drive. When you return home from your trip, you simply download the movie files to your computer and then delete the files from the microdrive, and you are ready to record again.
3) if you are used to viewfinder, you will miss it with this camcorder. It uses a small 1.8" screen on the back for all viewing and menus. It took some getting use to.
I mentioned that editing was a breeze. JVC packs their kit a with short version of Cbyerlinks video editing software. It works fine and you will be able to edit and render a DVD in about 30 minutes. The final quality is really great - I didn't notice any loss moving from the microdrive to the final DVD. All in all, if you are looking for a really small camcorder for travel etc, this is it. When JVC introduced it, 2004, it was priced at $1700. Today it can be purchased new, primarily on line for anywhere between $700 and $1200. At the lower end it's quite a good buy. Be aware that it is discontined by JVC.
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Product Details
Batteries Included: 1
Binding: Electronics
Brand: JVC
Color:
EAN: 0046838018626
Floppy Disk Drive Description:
Has Red Eye Reduction: 1
Is Autographed:
Is Memorabilia:
Label: JVC
Legal Disclaimer:
Manufacturer: JVC
Model: GZMC500
Publisher: JVC
Release Date:
Special Features:
Studio: JVC
System Memory Size: |
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